Public service channel uses lenses in robotic configuration to cover state government

WAYNE, N.J.—The Florida Channel in Tallahassee has taken delivery of 9 Fujinon HAs18x7.6BZD-T5DD Premier Series HD ENG style lenses to to cover proceedings by the Florida House, Senate and Cabinet at WFSU-TV, a PBS television station affiliated with Florida State University.

Seen on PBS multicast channels, cable systems, as well as public, education and government access channels throughout the state, The Florida Channel produces more than 2,500 hours of original programming each year, including gavel-to-gavel coverage of legislative floor sessions, committee meetings, Supreme Court proceedings and cabinet meetings. The Florida Channel also offers nine streaming video channels on its website so that proceedings are available when the House and Senate are in session.

The lenses will be attached to Hitachi DK-Z50 HD box cameras operated on Ross Video CamBot tripods for remote pan, tilt, zoom and iris, among other camera functions. Fujinon HAs18x7.6BZD-T5DD Premier Series HD ENG digital servo zoom lenses have an 18x zoom, focal range of 7.6-137mm, and 16 bit encoders for 2/3-inch cameras. While The Florida Channel does not work in stereo 3D, these lenses were originally designed to work as part of a 3D Synchronous System and have high-quality HD optics and close tolerance mechanical design.

Eight of the lenses are located in the Florida House chamber and five are in the Senate. The lenses are operated from two control rooms, and each is equipped with a Ross Video Crossover switcher. The remaining five Fujinon lenses will be used in other locations around the Capitol Complex.

“We won’t actually be going to HD, but we will switch to 16:9 SD after the House and Senate sessions conclude in the beginning of May,” said Terry Longordo, chief engineer at WFSU-TV/The Florida Channel. “Fujinon sales representative, Susan Teuscher, was extremely helpful when we installed the lenses in early January. When we discovered that some of the lenses had been damaged during shipping, she rushed here from Atlanta with her engineering colleague, Wilson Zeferino, and made sure that everything was in good working order in time for the new legislative session.”

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